Phuket Vice Governor pushes for crackdown on ‘home delivery’ drugs

PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok has called for ramped up vigilance and effort to prevents drugs from being delivered across the province by post and private delivery companies, and even being brought onto the island by government-run inter-provincial buses.

Drugs are increasing finding their way onto the island by post and parcel delivery. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub / file

V/Gov Snith delivered his message at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning (Mar 16) attended by local anti-drug enforcement officials, officials from Phuket Land Transport Office and local representatives from private delivery companies.

The specific delivery companies represented were not named.

“Official reports show that drugs are being delivered to Phuket by post and private parcel delivery companies, and even and public transportation,” V/Gov Snith said.

“This issue must be solved to reduce the volume of drugs being brought into the province,” he added.

“The Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Phuket needs to figure out this issue by holding a meeting to draw up a plan of action and then pushing to enforce the law on parcel delivery operations and on public transport,” he said.

V/Gov Snith’s call for heightened action on home-delivery drugs follows a recent spate of drug mules being caught arriving in Phuket by bus with caches of drugs bound for delivery across the island.

Just last month, three drug mules were caught in just five days. (See story here.)

“The transporting of drugs into Phuket has become more common through bus travel or by mail delivery, or even by boat,” Phuket Provincial Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Sakchai Kunanawatchaidej pointed out in November.

“Especially methamphetamine, which will be transported in clusters of not more than 10,000 tablets, which officials are always monitoring,” he said.

“Relevant agencies also seek the cooperation of local people and leaders to help monitor the sale and use of illegal drugs in order to reduce the spread of drugs in Phuket,” Mr Sakchai added. (See story here.)

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Is this Vice Governor going to trace back to the producers of the drugs?
Does he dare that with his strong talk about mail delivery?
When thai authorities trompet in press about their efforts in fighting drugs producers? Never.
It is always only about the simple mules catching, who then over populate thai prisons even more.
It is just a publicity play for thai officials. Nothing more.